Garel started to say something to Balrok as he moved to search the wight bodies, but held his tongue.


Looking around as they moved, he simply stayed with the party and looked around.

Gurgun barely looked at the corpses being more preoccupied with facing the lich.

OOC: Search 3

There wasn't much more to see in the funeral hall.

Balrok looked over the wights, once the corpses of elves. They wore ancient tattered robes, possibly those of wizards, or at least apprentices. One had a gold amulet around his neck, adorned with a constellation of stars.

"Stingy elves," Balrok grumbles.  "The Lost Temple this ain't.  Well, let's get movin'."  Balrok will stand, test the edge of his waraxe, ready his shield, then clump off through whatever doorway leads towards the lich.  He'll go first, watching carefully for traps as he goes (Balrok loves traps!).

Take 10 Search for traps:  13.  Take 20 if something looks suspicious:  23.  Add 2 if the trap somehow involves "stone"; Add 2 if Balrok is considered "underground".  This is Survival skill at a -5; I can find any sort of trap, even high DC ones.

Go down stairs. Gurgun instructs tersly, and follows close behind.

"Balrok, let me see that amulet."

Gaerl tried to determine what god or religion the amulet was associated with, or if it was.  He announced his findings if any to the party.


15:00, Today: Garel Astur rolled 25 using 1d20+6. knowledge religion -- amulet.

There didn't seem to be a religious significance to the amulet, just an astrological one. It depicted a certain constellation of stars seen in Faerun's night sky, though Garel couldn't even guess as its significance.

"The ancient star elves looked to the stars for their magic." Duladora explained as she examined it. "This may have been made in honour of this constellation, or it could signify a magical discipline that this... elf followed." She'd crept back into the picture after the wights had been slain and the funeral hall pronounced safe, and had proceeded to draw sketches of the artwork and take notes. She was rather relieved to find that the new arrival would take of traps.

The adventurers headed down the flight of shallows stairs. They came down into a triangular room, with one wall forming the arc of a quarter-circle. Against the walls they found a number of glass tables, each as long and as wide as a person. The place was cold and smelt faintly of death, but was otherwise empty.

Dula peeked in from the top of the stairs. "This must be where the bodies of the deceased were laid in state, where their families and friends could see them. They'd have lain here until their funerals or, uh, preparations were ready."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:24, Sat 19 June 2010.

Balrok grumbles at the running elven narrative.  "Layin' yer dead on glass tables, starin' at du stars," he mutters as he examines the room, "no wonder du elfs are all dead, 'prolly died uh boredom."  He glances at Duladora.  "If I keel over durin' one of her stories, yu'll know it got me too, heh heh.

Maybe ye can be useful an' tell us du historic locations of elven burial treasure instead," he says, tapping on a glass table with his axe.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:20, Tue 22 June 2010.

"A magical discipline yer say?" started Jorn, his interest piqued, "perhaps I could'ave a look at that amulet?"

[Cast] Detect Magic, examine the amulet. While at it, look about the room, including the burial room for auras.

At Balrok's request, Jorn grinned and shook his head;

"Been there, done that. Quick summary: this'ere place's been taken'ver by a necromancer. Undead stalk the corridors. Treasure might be found, but I chance yer, between us, the orcs and the necromancer's minions most of this tomb been swept clean by now."

Dula pulled a face at Balrok's comments, and left the adventurers to their bumbling around.

[Private to Jorn Brightcaller: The amulet wasn't magical, or it wasn't any more.

However, after panning around the room, Jorn realised that there was active magic close by, not in this room but in a neighbouring area. Two auras, he sensed.

OOC: 2 Spellcraft checks, please]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:59, Mon 21 June 2010.

19:03, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 25 using 1d20+13. Spellcraft 2.
19:03, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 22 using 1d20+13. Spellcraft 1.

PM [Private to Jorn Brightcaller: Two faint necromancy auras, to the south east.]

Once Jorn is done, and if there's nothing to be found in this room (DC 12 Take 10 search), Balrok will press forward.

Gurgun waits for the dwarves to finish.

NPCed

"Two necr'mancy magics, this way." Jorn said, gesturing to the south and west, according to arbitrarily determined compass-points.

That done, they left the room via a door in the north-west, and found themselves at the corner of wide L-shaped corridor. The right-hand corridor ended in a door, estimated to be nearly at the edge of the building. The left-hand corridor had a door close-by on the left, one further down on the right, and another at the very end.

Jorn pointed to the nearest door. "Necr'mancy's in here."

Gurgun say this is good. We finish this; Balrok get ready Gurgun will open door.
The hobgoblin waits for the others to line up before he does his push and drag routine used to open doors on this plane.

Balrok will inspect it for traps before Gurgun opens it.  Take 20:  23.

OOC: Whoops, sorry. I forgot a room. Just slipping it in. I've updated the map in the map thread. You're currently in area 45.


Duladora entered the room behind the adventurers, and pointed to a door she found in the opposite corner of the room, unnoticed in the darkness. "What's in this one?" she wondered aloud, and curiosity got the better of her good sense, so she dragged it open.

Inside was a small storeroom, but storing a ghasty contents. The walls were lined with up to fifty small niches. In about a dozen of them were bundle of elven bones, and laying on the floor were a few loose bones and a number of small silver chains. Dula picked one up and inspected it closely. "We've seen these chains on many of the walking skeletons... ah, they're used to tie the bones together when stored in these niches. This is an ossuary. It must be where Mourel the Duskwalker is getting his army from..." the historian deduced.

That taken care of, Balrok inspected the door, and pronounced it trap free, so Gurgun opened it. Inside was a a long semi-circle room, and directly opposite was a large box that seemed to be a furnace, all of opaque glass with a hatch door on the front.

Further down were two large opaque glass vats, the size and shape of coffins, with small furnaces built into their bases. Scattered about the room were several mortuary tables.

Suddenly there was a rasping voice, the words of magic, and a flash within one of the vats. [Spellcraft DC 16 - shield]

An elf sat up out of that vat shortly after, turning to gaze upon the explorers with a look of contempt. He was deathly pale, almost white; in fact, he was dead. The elf was dressed in once-ornate wizard's robes, turned black and grey and tattered. A strange spark burned in his eyes. This could only be the dread lich that the orcs and hobgoblins had spoken of.

"You dare defile the house of my master!" the dead elven mage hissed, enraged. "Where is the burning skull? Where are our armies?" he demanded.



[Private to Jorn Brightcaller: The necromantic auras coincide with the lich's position.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:27, Fri 25 June 2010.

Balrok scratches his head with the back of his axe.  "Are we talkin' or smashin' 'em," the half-deaf Balrok asks Gargun in a whisper so (inadvertently) loud everyone can easily hear it.

Are the vats made of glass or some sort of breakable material?  Do they look to be filled with liquid?  I'm trying to get a mental picture here.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Fri 25 June 2010.

OOC: I thought we could chat first. ;) But feel free to launch into battle.

The vats are empty, and made of glass that is magically-strengthened, hardness 10. Everything in the tower is made of this glass.

"I believe this'ere be the source of them auras," hissed Jorn, "and the source of them undead. Found our necromancer I'd say. Now, I suggest we swiftly remove 'is 'ead from 'is skull, before it does the same to us."

Outloud, the dwarf answered;

"Them? Them be crushed to bones and dust. Or in tha'skulls case, just dust. wont'yer join em?"

[Cast] Alter Self: Tren

OOC: Jumping the gun here. Let's take him down! (Unless someone objects, in which I'll change my post.

This undead realm of yours is an affront to the binder. We here to stop this destructive reign. We detroyed your lieutenants, you may leave this plane or prepare to be destroyed yourself. The orcs and hobgoblins will soon be here to dispatch your minions.
Garel has those magic stones? This will be a good time to give to Gurgun. he adds in a low voice.

"My minions? My lieutenants?" the dead elf echoed, confused, then cackled. As he threw his gaunt skull-like head back, then could see a glint on his brow, as though a gem were attached or embedded in his forehead. "How wrong you have it. I am Kyjal Stardancer, just a humble servant of my master, and I will-"

Halfway through, Kyjal cut off his own grand speech, and spat out the words of a dreadful spell, seizing the initiative. A dark cloud of terror seemed to settle over Balrok. [Lich: cause fear @ Balrok, Will DC 13 or be Frightened for 4 rounds, success means being Shaken for 1 round]

Then he dropped back inside his vat, a strange move but it gave him cover and protection and his living enemies.


Round 1:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
G: Garel Aster
J: Jorn Brightcaller
J: Balrok

K: Elf Lich, Kyjal Stardancer

Effects:

Frightened: Fearful of a creature, situation, or object. A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.

Shaken: Mildly fearful. A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Initiative: green - you may act
19 - Elf Lich
19 - Gurgun
12 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 8 - Jorn
 7 - Garel
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:38, Tue 29 June 2010.

OOC: know religion: 17

Whispered as he is prepairing to cast a spell and looking at the Lich, Garel whispers barely loud enough for Gurgun to hear, "I have a better spell planned, one of you charge him."

knowledge religion/undead 22

12:41, Today: Garel Astur rolled 22 using 1d20+6. Knowledge Religion---undead. 
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Sun 27 June 2010.